National League Division 3: Derry and Offaly top groups, Cavan and Tipperary into relegation play-offs
Derry will face Limerick, while Offaly will take on Fermanagh in the Division 3 semi-finals. Defeats for 2020 provincial champions Cavan and Tipperary see them move into the relegation play-offs.
Sunday 30 May 2021 10:59, UK
The group stages of Division 3 of the Allianz Football League concluded on Saturday afternoon, with Derry and Offaly topping the north and south round-robins.
Division 3 North
Cavan 2-11 Derry 1-16
Eight points from Shane McGuigan inspired Derry to a third consecutive victory, as they eye a return to the second tier.
The Oak Leaf County were the form team in Division 3 over recent weeks, winning their first two matches by a combined 35 points.
Rory Gallagher's charges picked up right from where they left off as the game got under way. McGuigan pointed off his right foot after 15 seconds, and they had built a 0-5 to 0-0 lead within nine minutes.
The Ulster champions could have been far worse off, were it not for two impressive early saves from 2020 All-Star goalkeeper Raymond Galligan.
Cavan eventually got off the mark, and stole all the momentum by kicking four points in succession.
Derry were clearly chasing goals, and turned down numerous opportunities for points in favour of hunting green flags.
But it was the Breffni County who found the net first. Martin Reilly floated a line ball into the danger zone, and Gearoid McKiernan rose above Derry goalkeeper Odhrán Lynch to palm it into the net.
However, Derry quickly hit back. Niall Loughlin stormed in from the left and hammered the ball home to level it, 1-6 apiece.
The visitors led at the break, with a McGuigan free nudging them ahead by a point.
The Slaughtneil man continued his scoring prowess after the restart, as Derry registered the first six points without reply
That spree saw them take control of the contest, leading 1-13 to 1-6 at the water break.
However, Cavan refused to lie down. Luke Fortune stopped the rot for the hosts, and they clicked into gear. Raymond Galligan and Gearoid McKiernan converted frees, before a 66th minute Martin Reilly goal pulled it back to one point.
But McGuigan provided clutch moments late on, scoring two eye-catching points to seal the victory.
Cavan: Raymond Galligan (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 '45): Killian Clarke, Padraig Faulkner, Chris Conroy; Cian Reilly, Oisin Kiernan (0-1), Luke Fortune (0-2); Conor Brady, Killian Brady; Martin Reilly (1-0), Gearoid McKiernan (1-3, 0-3 frees), Caoimhan McGovern (0-1); Niall Murray (0-1), Patrick Lynch, Conor Madden.
Subs: Conor Smith for Caoimhan McGovern (half-time), Michael Argue for Niall Murray (half-time), Thomas Edward Donoghue for Chris Conroy (50th minute), Thomas Galligan for Killian Brady (53rd minute), Cormac Timoney (0-1) for Conor Madden (53rd minute), Stephen Murray for Patrick Lynch (53rd minute), Oisin Pierson for Thomas Edward Donoghue (76th minute).
Derry: Odhrán Lynch; Christopher McKaigue, Brendan Rogers, Padraig McGrogan; Paul McNeill, Gareth McKinless, Conor Doherty; Conor Glass (0-1), Emmett Bradley (0-3); Ethan Doherty, Niall Loughlin (1-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 '45), Ciaran McFaul; Benny Heron (0-1), Shane McGuigan (0-8, 0-4 frees), Paul Cassidy.
Subs: Michael McEvoy for Brendan Rodgers (60th minute), Oisin McWilliams for Benny Heron (62nd minute), Ben McCarron for Padraig McGrogan (64th minute), Jack Doherty for Paul Cassidy (70th minute), Shea Downey for Niall Loughlin (74th minute).
Fermanagh 1-15 Longford 0-18
An early Sean Quigley goal got the Erne County off to a dream start, as Brewster Park welcomed fans back for the first time in over a year.
Fermanagh trailed for long periods after Longford settled, but the hosts eventually levelled it. The 1-15 to 0-18 draw was enough to see them leap-frog Cavan in the table and seal a top-two finish.
Division 3 South
Offaly 1-17 Tipperary 1-12
A strong second-half showing ensured Offaly finished top of the 'south' table, with three wins from three.
The Premier County led by a single point at the break, after the sides traded first-half goals from Cian Farrell and Conor Sweeney.
However, it was John Maughan's charges who kicked on after the restart, and out-pointed their visitors to prevail by five.
Wicklow 1-12 Limerick 2-19
Second-half goals from Danny Neville and Hugh Bourke helped Limerick come out on top in Aughrim, as the Treaty County overcame the Garden men by 10 points.
The win for Billy Lee's outfit was enough to see them finish second in the table, as they hunt back-to-back promotions in the National League.
Division 4 South
Carlow have topped the three-team, Division 4 South group thanks to a one-point victory over neighbours Wexford.
The Barrow-siders edged the contest on a scoreline of 2-12 to 2-11. The result means that Waterford finish in second place, and also move on to the semi-finals.
